Concept Note

Side-event to the 8th Session of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Ageing

“Demonstrating the work of National Human Rights Institutions and the Rights of Older Persons with regards to ‘equality and non-discrimination’ and ‘neglect, violence and abuse’”

Thursday 6 July 2017, 13:15 to 14:30

Background

At its 7th session, the United Nations Open Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) has decided to formalise participation of Paris Principles compliant NHRIs into its working, starting with the 8th session of the OEWG, thereby maximizing the opportunity to benefit from the unique and authoritative contributions that NHRIs can offer.

In preparation for the 8th Session of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG), more than 20 GANHRI members have submitted contributions relating to the two-fold priority issues for the session:‘equality and non-discrimination’ and ‘neglect, violence and abuse’.

These contributions are based on NHRIs’ unique mandate and functions, including researching, investigating into and monitoring human rights situations, complaints-handling, offering legal and policy advice to the State, and engaging at an international level particularly the United Nations.

Keyfindingsand conclusions that NHRIs in all regions have identified include:

  1. Older persons are rights-holders and there is a need to reaffirm and ensure that the national and international legal and policy frameworks respect and protect older persons as rights-holders;
  2. Discrimination and abuse of older persons are often unnoticed or remain unrecognized; it can take various forms, direct or indirect, and can take multiple forms while it occurs in all areas of life, including in employment, accommodation, healthcare, family, provision of goods and services, justice and inheritance or social care;
  3. To counter discrimination against older persons States need to take special measures both at legal and policy levels; and
  4. There is a need fora definition of what constitutes elder abuse.

Objective

The proposed side event will take stock of the findings and conclusions of NHRIs across all regions in relation to discrimination and abuse of older persons.

The event will also demonstrate how NHRIs can use their unique mandate and functions in line with the Paris Principles, including investigating, monitoring, complaints-handling and advising the stateon the rights of older persons with regards to the focus areas ‘equality and non-discrimination’ and ‘neglect, violence and abuse’.

In particular, the event will:

-Highlight the main elements identified by NHRIs as cross-regional concerns with regard to the rights of older persons;

-Share examples of experiences and good practices showcasing therole played by NHRIs and their regional networks in monitoring and promoting the rights of older persons.

The event is co-hosted by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF).

Format

The sideevent will last 1 hour 15 minutesand will includepanellistsfrom NHRIs from different regions, answering/debatingquestionsduring an interactivediscussion.